A Magical Night for Ginny
by JuliaBC
Summary: Ginny getting a surprise invitation to dance. To be read with Ginny and Severus at the Dance.


Disclaimer: I so don't own these characters. JK Rowling does. I'm just borrowing them.

Author's Note: More sequels to be coming. Well, this isn't really a sequel.

Ginny was feeling distracted and her daughter seemed to be able to tell it as she cried continuously. "I'm sorry, darling, but I've got to go to this dance. It's important. I know you want me to stay home, but I promise, you'll like Jessica." Jessica was a Muggle, but since where Ginny was going was the biggest Wizarding event of the year, and everyone would be there, she couldn't ask a wizard to watch Elicia. She sighed, and sagged against the wall. Five years already, she thought grimly, five years since Voldemort's death... She could still remember it like yesterday, how the castle was in panic, how Harry was everywhere at once...Harry had loved her then, she thought, but now he was with Luna. She couldn't blame him, she acknowledged, she knew she had taken a wrong turn in her seventh year. And now she had Elicia. She picked Elicia up, bouncing her on her hip, and Elicia quieted. Yes, like her mum always said: "If you want a baby to stop crying it couldn't be easier—just pick them up!" She walked with Elicia into the front room, and, feeling guilty, turned on Winnie the Pooh and left Elicia cooing at Piglet. She hurried back into the bedroom and dressed quickly, glad she had asked her mum had pick out her dress. As she fastened her favorite earrings, long, gold dangly ones, she hurried into the bathroom to check on her hair. Yes, she looked fine. And now she would swing by Jessica's house and drop Elicia off there. Obviously, Jessica couldn't come here…

Ginny lived in a small flat, with four rooms—well, areas, was more like it—with a bedroom area, a bathroom, a tiny kitchen and a living room that was just as small. There were no obvious magical items lying around, but all the same, Jessica couldn't come here. She picked up Elicia, grabbed her travel bag, and swept out the door.

It was early May, and though the evening was a bit chilly, she didn't need a coat. Reaching Jessica's house, she kissed Elicia goodbye and walked around the corner. "Now," she said, and turning on the spot, found herself at the front gates of Hogwarts. With a smile bright on her face, she hurried inside, along with everyone else.

It was crowded, very much so, but that was to be expected. She spotted many people she knew, but most avoided her gaze. Tightening her jaw, she hurried to where her family was standing. "Ron, hello!" She called, pushing through the crowd. He turned and a smile lit his face when he saw her. "Hey, Ginny! How are you?" He asked, pulling her into a tight hug. Since her pregnancy, Ron had been more of an older brother to her, more protective and caring. Sometimes it was irritating, but at times like now it was comforting. Hermione came up from behind, "Hello, Ginny. I've got news." She said, looking tired.

"Hermione, are you all right?"

"She's pregnant!" Ron said loudly, and pulled his wife to his side. "Isn't it amazing? I'm going to be a father!"

That surprised Ginny. Ron and Hermione had just married a few months ago, and because of Hermione's promising career, all had expected them to wait before they had children. "Wow, that's amazing!" She pulled Hermione away from the others. "You okay, Hermione? Feeling alright?"

"I just got the news today, it's knocked me off my feet." Hermione said quietly. "Now I know how you felt, and you weren't even dating someone. Oh, Ginny!" She said, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "It gets better, kind of," Ginny said, patting Hermione on the back. "Once the morning sickness stops, you should feel mostly fine until your sixth month. That's when it starts getting really difficult." Hermione pulled back, smiling weakly. "I really don't feel like dancing, and if it wasn't the five year mark, I would've made Ron stay home with me. Oh well. I need to go tell Harry." She said, squeezed Ginny's hand and walked quickly off to find him.

The first half of the evening was filled with toasts and speeches and hors d'oeuvres. Then the band struck up, and everyone started dancing. Harry came over, "Want to dance, for old times sake?" She grinned. "Sure, Harry." It was a fast dance, and over quickly. After Harry, she danced with all her brothers and then her father but then they rejoined their respective dates, and left Ginny alone. At least three dances passed before she made her way to the edges of the ballroom, realizing no one else would ask her. Hermione was now sitting down also, but she was all the way on the other side of the ballroom and Ginny didn't feel like walking all the way over there. Another dance passed, and Ginny was starting to feel conspicuous. Well, no one would notice if she left early, would they? With that, she made up her mind to leave when the song ended, and then it did, and then: "Miss Weasley, would you care to dance?" She looked up in amazement, and saw Professor Snape standing there. She remembered Snape, leaning heavily on Harry, walking into Hogwarts after that last battle. Voldemort had tried to have Nagini kill him, but it hadn't quite worked, thankfully. Snape had resigned from Hogwarts after that, and this was the first time she'd seen him in five years.

He looked quite healthy, she realized and that made her happy. She had always had a soft spot for him, seeing in him a vulnerability that reminded him of herself. He wasn't actually as nasty and horrible as he acted, she had known since her first class, he's hiding something, he's covering up his real feelings. She knew that because she also had to hide her real feelings from her brothers; when you were the only girl you could get trampled sometimes. She had hidden her desire to play Quidditch, but at the same time had to mask how much she had liked Ballet so they wouldn't tease her constantly. And now...she smiled, letting true happiness shine through, saying, "Yes, I'd love to, Professor."

He seemed surprised she was so happy as he led her out to the floor. It was a couples dance, she realized when they got to the middle, and felt just a bit self conscious. He placed his hand on her waist, and she was surprised at how nice it felt. As they started to dance, he spoke, "And please don't call me Professor, Miss Weasley. I am not a professor any longer, and even if I was, you are not my student any longer."

This request surprised and gladdened her. "Well, all right, but then what should I call you?"

"Severus, I suppose." He said, spinning her. Snape really had changed since the Hogwarts days. Back then, he would never ask a Weasley to call him by his first name. "Well, if I am calling you Severus, you should call me Ginny."

"Ginny, you are an amazing dancer." He returned, and she smiled again. He was making her feel so happy, why was that? She felt him pull her a bit closer, and she had to fight down a gasp. They talked more, she said something about how she used to take ballet, and suddenly Severus was lifting her in the air, surprising and delighting her so much she laughed with joy. He was spinning her also, and dipping her. It had been a while since she had had a partner who actually knew how to dance as well as she and it thrilled her. She looked up into his face and saw something more there—that is, more than friendship. A strange feeling touched her heart. The song had gotten quieter. Pulling her up from a dip, he pulled her close, and they were now dancing like everyone else, just standing near to another, shuffling in a circle, and Ginny let her head rest on his shoulder. To her amazement, he rested his chin on her head and to her embarrassment she began to cry. Her feelings were overwhelming her—she couldn't remember ever feeling like this before. He pulled away, an anxious look on his face, as he asked if anything was wrong. She pulled him back, wanting this to last as long as possible.

Then the music ended. She felt as though she had lost something precious and didn't know how to get it back, and Severus led her back to where she'd been sitting. What could she say? What should she say? She wondered desperately. What on earth would make Severus Snape, the only man who'd evoked feelings of real love in her, stay? What would make him stay?

She was back at her chair, and reluctantly sat down. Her hand was still in his and she had to pull it out, not wanting to. He had a terrible look on his face as he kissed her hand. She started to speak, but he was hurrying away. Ginny sat there, frozen, for a few moments. Had she imagined it? Did Severus feel nothing for her? She just couldn't tell. Her legs shaking, she stood and walked out the door. She had to pick up Elicia.


End file.
